Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Solaris (2015), 272 pages
Description
"Mexico City, 1988: Long before iTunes or MP3s, you said "I love you" with a mixtape. Meche, awkward and fifteen, has two equally unhip friends, Sebastian and Daniela, and a whole lot of vinyl records to keep her company. When she discovers how to cast spells using music, the future looks brighter for the trio. The three friends will piece together their broken families, change their status as non-entities, and maybe even find love. Mexico City, 2009: Two decades after abandoning the metropolis, Meche returns for her estranged father's funeral. It's hard enough to cope with her family, but then she runs into Sebastian, reviving memories from her childhood she thought she buried a long time ago. What really happened back then? What precipitated the bitter falling out with her father? Is there any magic left?"--Page [4] of cover.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member JimDR
Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
This is the story of Meche, the woman and the girl, in Mexico city. As a women she returns for her father's funeral and reluctantly deals with family and friends. As a girl, she struggles her awkward way through high school, ignoring homework and generally not
I struggled so much to like this book. It is well structured, and the writing is smooth and often very fluid. But lord, the characters are so trite and tedious. The main character, Meche, is sulky and nerdy and the same as every other math-obsessed, sulky nerd in every other teen book. The problem is, she's the same as an adult! She's utterly insufferable.
Her friends are the same-- the poor kid who escapes toxic masculinity into books and gets called names for it. The chubby rich girl princess whose parents (gasp!) love her and don't want her to fall in with a bad crowd.
Ugh.
It took me forever to finish this tiny book because I kept rolling my eyes and shaking my head at the stupid, stupid kids who were just as stupid and clumsy as they grew up. I liked nothing about a single character in this book, except that Meche's father has pretty good taste in music.
This is the story of Meche, the woman and the girl, in Mexico city. As a women she returns for her father's funeral and reluctantly deals with family and friends. As a girl, she struggles her awkward way through high school, ignoring homework and generally not
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getting along with people. Her family is dysfunctional, her friends are weird, and she learns how to do magic.I struggled so much to like this book. It is well structured, and the writing is smooth and often very fluid. But lord, the characters are so trite and tedious. The main character, Meche, is sulky and nerdy and the same as every other math-obsessed, sulky nerd in every other teen book. The problem is, she's the same as an adult! She's utterly insufferable.
Her friends are the same-- the poor kid who escapes toxic masculinity into books and gets called names for it. The chubby rich girl princess whose parents (gasp!) love her and don't want her to fall in with a bad crowd.
Ugh.
It took me forever to finish this tiny book because I kept rolling my eyes and shaking my head at the stupid, stupid kids who were just as stupid and clumsy as they grew up. I liked nothing about a single character in this book, except that Meche's father has pretty good taste in music.
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LibraryThing member zjakkelien
Interesting concept and setting, definitely different, and that part I liked. The switching between past and now was well done. In the end, though, my feeling about this book is lukewarm. The main problem is the characters. When you know the full story, it becomes clear that Meche is a b*tch. Sure,
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I can come up with excuses (magic corrupts, she is a stupid teenager who can't control herself, she didn't understand the dangers), but the truth of the matter is, they just don't cut it. What's worse, I don't feel that the book judges her for what she does. It's as if we are supposed to understand it, supposed to stick with her. For one, I can't, and for two, I don't feel there is enough growth to her character. She comes back to town resentful instead of remorseful. On top of that, I really don't see what Sebastian sees in her. The end doesn't make sense to me. So, mwah. Show Less
LibraryThing member ladycato
I received an ebook through NetGalley.
This highly enjoyable novel reminded me of a cross between Charles de Lint's Newford and Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor and Park. Moreno-Garcia evokes magical realism via music in late 1980s Mexico City. Meche is an angry girl--a bitch, quite frankly--who is often
The plot thread set in 2009 is just as intriguing. Meche is forced to confront her past when she reluctantly returns home for her father's funeral. Moreno-Garcia does a fabulous job of showing how Meche has changed yet stayed true to herself, in both good and bad ways. The back and forth flow is paced just right; it looks effortless, and as a writer awes me a bit because of the work that must have been involved.
It's a deep book. It can be marketed as YA but I really don't think the younger set would "get it" as much as an older reader. (And man, I hated being told that when I was younger, but...) I was able to personally connect withe Meche even though she's unlikeable at times. The period details were spot-on. I knew most of the music--loved it when Steve Perry was mentioned--and at one point, the friends even play the original Castlevania together. Plus, I enjoyed the fresh setting of Mexico City. It's really a great mix of elements, and the more I think on the novel, the more I like it.
This highly enjoyable novel reminded me of a cross between Charles de Lint's Newford and Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor and Park. Moreno-Garcia evokes magical realism via music in late 1980s Mexico City. Meche is an angry girl--a bitch, quite frankly--who is often
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the cruelest to her friends Sebastian and Daniela. Meche's life is music and mix tapes. When she realizes she can cast spells via song and pulls her friends into her plot, things escalate in dangerous ways.The plot thread set in 2009 is just as intriguing. Meche is forced to confront her past when she reluctantly returns home for her father's funeral. Moreno-Garcia does a fabulous job of showing how Meche has changed yet stayed true to herself, in both good and bad ways. The back and forth flow is paced just right; it looks effortless, and as a writer awes me a bit because of the work that must have been involved.
It's a deep book. It can be marketed as YA but I really don't think the younger set would "get it" as much as an older reader. (And man, I hated being told that when I was younger, but...) I was able to personally connect withe Meche even though she's unlikeable at times. The period details were spot-on. I knew most of the music--loved it when Steve Perry was mentioned--and at one point, the friends even play the original Castlevania together. Plus, I enjoyed the fresh setting of Mexico City. It's really a great mix of elements, and the more I think on the novel, the more I like it.
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LibraryThing member tldegray
Hold on a moment while I slip into some stirrup pants, a knit sweater from The Limited, and my pink leather flats because we are going back to the 80s. This book takes place in 1989 and 2009, the former when Meche was a teenager and the latter when she returned home to Mexico City for a family
The 80s stuff was so great. I was a teenager in the 80s, though I'm a few years older than Meche, and everything was on point. The clothes, the hair, and most especially the music anchor you in place. (I have so many notes about songs I want to listen to.) And it was so very teenager, if you remember how it was back then, so full of the feeling that you were on the brink of something magical. And in Meche's case, she truly was.
The Oughts stuff of this novel somehow felt less locked into place than the 80s stuff, and to great effect because even though the Oughts were the "present" of this novel, it's the 80s that were the center of the story.
Meche is so great. When she's a teenager she's... well, she's a teenager. She lets the power she's always been denied go to her head and she is impetuous and sometimes cruel. And she's stubborn and almost humorously cannot share her emotions with anyone. She retains some of that emotional immaturity as an adult, but she's trying to deal with it, and her doing so results in one of the best scenes in the novel.
This is a book of flawed people doing the best they can, about magic and music, and about love.
[I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
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event. The 80s stuff was so great. I was a teenager in the 80s, though I'm a few years older than Meche, and everything was on point. The clothes, the hair, and most especially the music anchor you in place. (I have so many notes about songs I want to listen to.) And it was so very teenager, if you remember how it was back then, so full of the feeling that you were on the brink of something magical. And in Meche's case, she truly was.
The Oughts stuff of this novel somehow felt less locked into place than the 80s stuff, and to great effect because even though the Oughts were the "present" of this novel, it's the 80s that were the center of the story.
Meche is so great. When she's a teenager she's... well, she's a teenager. She lets the power she's always been denied go to her head and she is impetuous and sometimes cruel. And she's stubborn and almost humorously cannot share her emotions with anyone. She retains some of that emotional immaturity as an adult, but she's trying to deal with it, and her doing so results in one of the best scenes in the novel.
This is a book of flawed people doing the best they can, about magic and music, and about love.
[I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
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LibraryThing member eas7788
I love the premise and the ambition. Amazing use of music. Good characterization. Use of setting perhaps the best part of all. The magic element was okay and the plot could have been stronger. I want to read more of her.
LibraryThing member nicole_a_davis
The characters and story were compelling enough to keep me going, and in the end it was a satisfying read, but I had two big complaints about it: it was predictable and the main character Meche was hard to sympathize with. I could understand why, as a teenager, she was so tough and brusque and
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pushy, but twenty years later and she still hadn't changed? I felt sorry for Sebastian and had a hard time believing that he would have still been so in love with her after everything she did and all the time that had passed. The magical element seemed fairly minor. I liked the grandmother's character and wish it had been developed more. Show Less
LibraryThing member WiserWisegirl
Signal To Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
is a Historical-Fiction/Sci-Fi Fantasy that begins in a present day timeline. Meche is reluctantly returning to the Mexico City neighborhood of her childhood for her grandfather's funeral. She has nostalgic 1980's flashbacks to good and bad times with her
I enjoyed several clever writing strategies in the book, including parallel jumps between up to three ongoing scenes in the same timelines (like movies do), and regular switches from one scene to another for the same character (or different characters) with zero transition but context clues that anchor your location moving you forward in time around in space at a quick pace. Fresh and youthful with a mystical urban feel. I received an ARC of Rebellion Publishing's new edition of the prolific Moreno-Garcia's debut in exchange for this fair review.
is a Historical-Fiction/Sci-Fi Fantasy that begins in a present day timeline. Meche is reluctantly returning to the Mexico City neighborhood of her childhood for her grandfather's funeral. She has nostalgic 1980's flashbacks to good and bad times with her
Show More
friends Sebastian and Daniela. The trio is creating their own culture of magic using dark story sources from Shakespeare to National Geographic, their favorite grandmother's muddled memories, and any quirky phrase in a book or song that has imaginary possibilities. Oh, and it's the 80's, of course, so the spellbinding musical resources to layer in seem to be everywhere on radios, walkmans, and turntables. In the 80's timeline you will navigate street life, school life, and 'strange' family lives. Escaping with friends is the default survival strategy- but the end goal for Meche seems to be experimenting with ways that magic can passive aggressively solve those everyday problems that become more and more overwhelming. The growing power of magic seems to be turning her to the dark side. Yes, her magic is getting out of control.. The storytelling has the YA feel of an easy flow, a quick pace, and plenty of teen coming of age interactions. The undercurrent of a friends vs more than friends relationship straddles both timelines between Mech and Sebastian. So does the mystery of who Mech's father really was and who the friends and their old neighborhood have become. And yes, the hurts that remain from something unspoken that happened…This story confirmed my musical belief that there is a song for everything!I enjoyed several clever writing strategies in the book, including parallel jumps between up to three ongoing scenes in the same timelines (like movies do), and regular switches from one scene to another for the same character (or different characters) with zero transition but context clues that anchor your location moving you forward in time around in space at a quick pace. Fresh and youthful with a mystical urban feel. I received an ARC of Rebellion Publishing's new edition of the prolific Moreno-Garcia's debut in exchange for this fair review.
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LibraryThing member AltheaAnn
I picked up this book because I'd read one of Moreno-Garcia's short stories in the 'Dangerous Games' anthology, and really enjoyed it.
From that one previous experience of her writing (a modern Lovecraft tribute), this book wasn't quite what I expected - however, it won me over.
Alternating between
In 1988, she's a teen in Mexico City. Her family doesn't have much money, and she's an unpopular, nerdy girl. However, she's got two friends, Sebastian and Daniela. The trio often seems inseparable. And she's got her music, a world which her dearly beloved father introduced her to.
In 2009, Meche is a successful computer programmer based in Oslo. After years away, she's visiting Mexico and the old neighborhood after her estranged fathers death. To the reader, it's at first inexplicable why she's so very strongly opposed to seeing either of her old friends - and what happened to the relationship between her and her father.
As the book progresses, the answers are gradually revealed. It all has something to do with a discovery of witchcraft: objects of power and wishes come true. But more, it has to do with the long, slow process of growing up; about decisions and regrets. Choices have consequences; some things, once broken, can never be mended. But some things, perhaps, can.
The magic here is powerful and believable, integrated seamlessly with daily life. However, although the magic is an integral part of the story, the kernel of the book is about love and hate: interpersonal relationships.
Moreno-Garcia's writing is excellent, and she excels at drawing fully-rounded, complex characters. Mexico City came to vivid life under her pen. If I had to point to one thing I would change, though, I'd say I wished I was given a little bit more a a grounded sense of what Meche's life in Oslo is like - we don't actually see Norway at all in the books, so it feels a bit dreamlike when she talks about living there: like her family members that have never left Mexico, we can't even really imagine it. Perhaps that's intentional, though.
This is a young author to watch - I expect further great things from her.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. As always, my opinion is my own.
From that one previous experience of her writing (a modern Lovecraft tribute), this book wasn't quite what I expected - however, it won me over.
Alternating between
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scenes set in 1988 and twenty years later, the novel introduces us to Meche.In 1988, she's a teen in Mexico City. Her family doesn't have much money, and she's an unpopular, nerdy girl. However, she's got two friends, Sebastian and Daniela. The trio often seems inseparable. And she's got her music, a world which her dearly beloved father introduced her to.
In 2009, Meche is a successful computer programmer based in Oslo. After years away, she's visiting Mexico and the old neighborhood after her estranged fathers death. To the reader, it's at first inexplicable why she's so very strongly opposed to seeing either of her old friends - and what happened to the relationship between her and her father.
As the book progresses, the answers are gradually revealed. It all has something to do with a discovery of witchcraft: objects of power and wishes come true. But more, it has to do with the long, slow process of growing up; about decisions and regrets. Choices have consequences; some things, once broken, can never be mended. But some things, perhaps, can.
The magic here is powerful and believable, integrated seamlessly with daily life. However, although the magic is an integral part of the story, the kernel of the book is about love and hate: interpersonal relationships.
Moreno-Garcia's writing is excellent, and she excels at drawing fully-rounded, complex characters. Mexico City came to vivid life under her pen. If I had to point to one thing I would change, though, I'd say I wished I was given a little bit more a a grounded sense of what Meche's life in Oslo is like - we don't actually see Norway at all in the books, so it feels a bit dreamlike when she talks about living there: like her family members that have never left Mexico, we can't even really imagine it. Perhaps that's intentional, though.
This is a young author to watch - I expect further great things from her.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. As always, my opinion is my own.
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LibraryThing member WiserWisegirl
Signal To Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
is a Historical-Fiction/Sci-Fi Fantasy that begins in a present day timeline. Meche is reluctantly returning to the Mexico City neighborhood of her childhood for her grandfather's funeral. She has nostalgic 1980's flashbacks to good and bad times with her
I enjoyed several clever writing strategies in the book, including parallel jumps between up to three ongoing scenes in the same timelines (like movies do), and regular switches from one scene to another for the same character (or different characters) with zero transition but context clues that anchor your location moving you forward in time around in space at a quick pace. Fresh and youthful with a mystical urban feel. I received an ARC of Rebellion Publishing's new edition of the prolific Moreno-Garcia's debut in exchange for this fair review.
is a Historical-Fiction/Sci-Fi Fantasy that begins in a present day timeline. Meche is reluctantly returning to the Mexico City neighborhood of her childhood for her grandfather's funeral. She has nostalgic 1980's flashbacks to good and bad times with her
Show More
friends Sebastian and Daniela. The trio is creating their own culture of magic using dark story sources from Shakespeare to National Geographic, their favorite grandmother's muddled memories, and any quirky phrase in a book or song that has imaginary possibilities. Oh, and it's the 80's, of course, so the spellbinding musical resources to layer in seem to be everywhere on radios, walkmans, and turntables. In the 80's timeline you will navigate street life, school life, and 'strange' family lives. Escaping with friends is the default survival strategy- but the end goal for Meche seems to be experimenting with ways that magic can passive aggressively solve those everyday problems that become more and more overwhelming. The growing power of magic seems to be turning her to the dark side. Yes, her magic is getting out of control.. The storytelling has the YA feel of an easy flow, a quick pace, and plenty of teen coming of age interactions. The undercurrent of a friends vs more than friends relationship straddles both timelines between Mech and Sebastian. So does the mystery of who Mech's father really was and who the friends and their old neighborhood have become. And yes, the hurts that remain from something unspoken that happened…This story confirmed my musical belief that there is a song for everything!I enjoyed several clever writing strategies in the book, including parallel jumps between up to three ongoing scenes in the same timelines (like movies do), and regular switches from one scene to another for the same character (or different characters) with zero transition but context clues that anchor your location moving you forward in time around in space at a quick pace. Fresh and youthful with a mystical urban feel. I received an ARC of Rebellion Publishing's new edition of the prolific Moreno-Garcia's debut in exchange for this fair review.
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LibraryThing member WiserWisegirl
Signal To Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
is a Historical-Fiction/Sci-Fi Fantasy that begins in a present day timeline. Meche is reluctantly returning to the Mexico City neighborhood of her childhood for her grandfather's funeral. She has nostalgic 1980's flashbacks to good and bad times with her
I enjoyed several clever writing strategies in the book, including parallel jumps between up to three ongoing scenes in the same timelines (like movies do), and regular switches from one scene to another for the same character (or different characters) with zero transition but context clues that anchor your location moving you forward in time around in space at a quick pace. Fresh and youthful with a mystical urban feel. I received an ARC of Rebellion Publishing's new edition of the prolific Moreno-Garcia's debut in exchange for this fair review.
is a Historical-Fiction/Sci-Fi Fantasy that begins in a present day timeline. Meche is reluctantly returning to the Mexico City neighborhood of her childhood for her grandfather's funeral. She has nostalgic 1980's flashbacks to good and bad times with her
Show More
friends Sebastian and Daniela. The trio is creating their own culture of magic using dark story sources from Shakespeare to National Geographic, their favorite grandmother's muddled memories, and any quirky phrase in a book or song that has imaginary possibilities. Oh, and it's the 80's, of course, so the spellbinding musical resources to layer in seem to be everywhere on radios, walkmans, and turntables. In the 80's timeline you will navigate street life, school life, and 'strange' family lives. Escaping with friends is the default survival strategy- but the end goal for Meche seems to be experimenting with ways that magic can passive aggressively solve those everyday problems that become more and more overwhelming. The growing power of magic seems to be turning her to the dark side. Yes, her magic is getting out of control.. The storytelling has the YA feel of an easy flow, a quick pace, and plenty of teen coming of age interactions. The undercurrent of a friends vs more than friends relationship straddles both timelines between Mech and Sebastian. So does the mystery of who Mech's father really was and who the friends and their old neighborhood have become. And yes, the hurts that remain from something unspoken that happened…This story confirmed my musical belief that there is a song for everything!I enjoyed several clever writing strategies in the book, including parallel jumps between up to three ongoing scenes in the same timelines (like movies do), and regular switches from one scene to another for the same character (or different characters) with zero transition but context clues that anchor your location moving you forward in time around in space at a quick pace. Fresh and youthful with a mystical urban feel. I received an ARC of Rebellion Publishing's new edition of the prolific Moreno-Garcia's debut in exchange for this fair review.
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LibraryThing member WiserWisegirl
Signal To Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
is a Historical-Fiction/Sci-Fi Fantasy that begins in a present day timeline. Meche is reluctantly returning to the Mexico City neighborhood of her childhood for her grandfather's funeral. She has nostalgic 1980's flashbacks to good and bad times with her
I enjoyed several clever writing strategies in the book, including parallel jumps between up to three ongoing scenes in the same timelines (like movies do), and regular switches from one scene to another for the same character (or different characters) with zero transition but context clues that anchor your location moving you forward in time around in space at a quick pace. Fresh and youthful with a mystical urban feel. I received an ARC of Rebellion Publishing's new edition of the prolific Moreno-Garcia's debut in exchange for this fair review.
is a Historical-Fiction/Sci-Fi Fantasy that begins in a present day timeline. Meche is reluctantly returning to the Mexico City neighborhood of her childhood for her grandfather's funeral. She has nostalgic 1980's flashbacks to good and bad times with her
Show More
friends Sebastian and Daniela. The trio is creating their own culture of magic using dark story sources from Shakespeare to National Geographic, their favorite grandmother's muddled memories, and any quirky phrase in a book or song that has imaginary possibilities. Oh, and it's the 80's, of course, so the spellbinding musical resources to layer in seem to be everywhere on radios, walkmans, and turntables. In the 80's timeline you will navigate street life, school life, and 'strange' family lives. Escaping with friends is the default survival strategy- but the end goal for Meche seems to be experimenting with ways that magic can passive aggressively solve those everyday problems that become more and more overwhelming. The growing power of magic seems to be turning her to the dark side. Yes, her magic is getting out of control.. The storytelling has the YA feel of an easy flow, a quick pace, and plenty of teen coming of age interactions. The undercurrent of a friends vs more than friends relationship straddles both timelines between Mech and Sebastian. So does the mystery of who Mech's father really was and who the friends and their old neighborhood have become. And yes, the hurts that remain from something unspoken that happened…This story confirmed my musical belief that there is a song for everything!I enjoyed several clever writing strategies in the book, including parallel jumps between up to three ongoing scenes in the same timelines (like movies do), and regular switches from one scene to another for the same character (or different characters) with zero transition but context clues that anchor your location moving you forward in time around in space at a quick pace. Fresh and youthful with a mystical urban feel. I received an ARC of Rebellion Publishing's new edition of the prolific Moreno-Garcia's debut in exchange for this fair review.
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LibraryThing member jennaelf
My experience as a reader far exceeded my expectations--not that I had low expectations! I just don't usually go into a book with my hopes up, that way they don't get dashed, and that way I can provide something closer to an "honest" review that isn't tainted by those expectations (the way people
I went in with an open mind, unsure what to expect. Wait, that's a lie. I expected ONE thing: good, solid prose. I've read Moreno-Garcia's short story collection Love & Other Poisons and that's what persuaded me to seek out getting my hands on a copy of Signal to Noise. She delivered.
Meche is a protagonist you might love or you might hate, but it seems more reasonable to feel a little bit of both for her. She's a complex girl/woman and that is handled masterfully as the story navigates between the late 1980s flashbacks and the 2009 "current" narrative in the text. As is every other character. The only 'flat' figures are background characters who are more part of the scenery than real characters, and even those are often given a touch of color to make them real and present. The back and forth in time works so well to build up the story that's being told; far better than if it had been told in sequential order.
The book walks a very interesting line between young adult and teen fiction (I make a distinction because "adult" has implications, even accompanied by young, that I wouldn't include in fiction I might be showing to a 13 year old) without dumbing anything down or amping up the 'adult' part. It's a great balance.
I look forward to reading more work by Silvia, that's for sure.
Plus, this book made me feel a little less weird about how I feel compelled to touch things in thrift stores and other secondhand shops, looking for those sparks from the items' pasts.
As a note, for transparency, and to comply with FTC guidelines: I received a copy of Signal to Noise through NetGalley in exchange for a review.
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ruin movies for themselves by expecting those movies to be their vision of what the book ought to have been on the big screen).I went in with an open mind, unsure what to expect. Wait, that's a lie. I expected ONE thing: good, solid prose. I've read Moreno-Garcia's short story collection Love & Other Poisons and that's what persuaded me to seek out getting my hands on a copy of Signal to Noise. She delivered.
Meche is a protagonist you might love or you might hate, but it seems more reasonable to feel a little bit of both for her. She's a complex girl/woman and that is handled masterfully as the story navigates between the late 1980s flashbacks and the 2009 "current" narrative in the text. As is every other character. The only 'flat' figures are background characters who are more part of the scenery than real characters, and even those are often given a touch of color to make them real and present. The back and forth in time works so well to build up the story that's being told; far better than if it had been told in sequential order.
The book walks a very interesting line between young adult and teen fiction (I make a distinction because "adult" has implications, even accompanied by young, that I wouldn't include in fiction I might be showing to a 13 year old) without dumbing anything down or amping up the 'adult' part. It's a great balance.
I look forward to reading more work by Silvia, that's for sure.
Plus, this book made me feel a little less weird about how I feel compelled to touch things in thrift stores and other secondhand shops, looking for those sparks from the items' pasts.
As a note, for transparency, and to comply with FTC guidelines: I received a copy of Signal to Noise through NetGalley in exchange for a review.
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LibraryThing member OpheliaAutumn
Signal to noise? Let me offer you another term from acoustics: Acoustic resonance. It is (I quote Wikipedia) “a phenomenon in which an acoustic system amplifies sound waves whose frequency matches one of its own natural frequencies of vibration”.
The story, skillfully written by Silvia Moreno
I know it is her first published novel, but I think I like it even more than the next ones from her that I’ve read, probably because of this resonance thing.
I am, I have to say, not comfortable with what Meche did as a teenager and how seemingly “unaddressed” it is (you’ll know what I’m talking about after you read it), but I don’t think it is that unaddressed. Maybe it’s lost in the noise somewhere, but a signal is there.
“Like mechanical resonance, acoustic resonance can result in catastrophic failure of the vibrator. The classic example of this is breaking a wine glass with sound at the precise resonant frequency of the glass.” No catastrophic failure for me, but my brain was definitely blown at times. Maybe I just felt so moved that my turntable was spinning out of control.
I couldn’t help reading more and more, the same way I would put the same disk on day after day as a teenager after school and forget my worries for an hour or two.
I want to thank Rebellion Publishing and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The story, skillfully written by Silvia Moreno
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Garcia, resonated so much with elements of my own childhood that I felt entranced by how realistic it felt, even though it is a fantasy novel. I know it is her first published novel, but I think I like it even more than the next ones from her that I’ve read, probably because of this resonance thing.
I am, I have to say, not comfortable with what Meche did as a teenager and how seemingly “unaddressed” it is (you’ll know what I’m talking about after you read it), but I don’t think it is that unaddressed. Maybe it’s lost in the noise somewhere, but a signal is there.
“Like mechanical resonance, acoustic resonance can result in catastrophic failure of the vibrator. The classic example of this is breaking a wine glass with sound at the precise resonant frequency of the glass.” No catastrophic failure for me, but my brain was definitely blown at times. Maybe I just felt so moved that my turntable was spinning out of control.
I couldn’t help reading more and more, the same way I would put the same disk on day after day as a teenager after school and forget my worries for an hour or two.
I want to thank Rebellion Publishing and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member LibroLindsay
I was not won over by this book at the beginning...I'm not sure if it was due to the amount of stress I've had this week or maybe that the real heart of this book takes a while to make itself clear. But by the second half, I couldn't put it down. The characters are complicated, no one is innocent
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in the end, which is something that took me a while to accept and really treasure. It's messy, really mean at times, and still beautiful. And I loved how Moreno-Garcia captures the magic of teenage years and the connection to music...I totally related, especially in the way Meche revered 60s music as I did at that age. I can't wait to see where she takes us next. (I hope I hope I hope there might be a story about the grandmother and her sisters!) Show Less
LibraryThing member AdonisGuilfoyle
'Why can't music be magic? Aren't spells just words you repeat? And what are songs? Lyrics that play over and over again. The words are like a formula.'
I took so long to download this that the cover image changed in my wishlist, but Silvia Moreno-Garcia's novel was well worth the wait. A YA story
Even though the twin themes of nostalgia and mysticism are far from original in coming of age novels like this, the characters are both believable and sympathetic, even prickly Meche, who casually inherits her grandmother's powers but quickly begins to abuse her talents. I identified with her, and Sebastian, and Daniela, the third 'witch' in Meche's coven - anybody who grew up on the fringes of school life, preferring to retreat into the sanctuary of books or headphones couldn't help but like them, and feel for them. Meche and Sebastian's relationship also reminded me of Austen's Emma and Mr Knightley, friends too close to realise how strongly they feel about each other. Oh, and bonus points for mentioning Queen and Freddie Mercury! A fast and youthful read, very enjoyable.
I took so long to download this that the cover image changed in my wishlist, but Silvia Moreno-Garcia's novel was well worth the wait. A YA story
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set in Mexico, switching between 1984 and 2009, Signal to Noise is a wonderful blend of music and magic. Best friends and fellow misfits Meche (Mercedes) and Sebastian are struggling through school, family life and first love, but will the power of music draw them together or break them apart?Even though the twin themes of nostalgia and mysticism are far from original in coming of age novels like this, the characters are both believable and sympathetic, even prickly Meche, who casually inherits her grandmother's powers but quickly begins to abuse her talents. I identified with her, and Sebastian, and Daniela, the third 'witch' in Meche's coven - anybody who grew up on the fringes of school life, preferring to retreat into the sanctuary of books or headphones couldn't help but like them, and feel for them. Meche and Sebastian's relationship also reminded me of Austen's Emma and Mr Knightley, friends too close to realise how strongly they feel about each other. Oh, and bonus points for mentioning Queen and Freddie Mercury! A fast and youthful read, very enjoyable.
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LibraryThing member michaeladams1979
Really effective story of three teens growing up in Mexico City who discover they can cast magic spells while using music to focus. Part coming-of-age story, part romance, partly a love-letter to classic pop music and vinyl records, and partly a story of friendships and family dissolving. The
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eventual homecoming where everything is laid bare is told in a flashback / present time narrative structure that actually served more to keep me guessing the reasons why than I would have originally thought it would. The climactic elements were quite powerful and very well done. I felt genuinely upset at the decisions the main characters were making. I had obviously come to care a lot about the outcome, and the ending did not let me down. I�êd highly recommend this story to readers who enjoy a well-done character-driven story with some speculative elements. Show Less
LibraryThing member gnomereviews
The gnomes received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
Meche has spent the last twenty years living abroad, but when her father dies, she returns to her hometown: Mexico City. She is tasked with cleaning out his apartment, which is cluttered with thousands of vinyl records.
The book switches between 1988 and 2009, revealing Meche’s life in glimpses. As the book progresses, the back story slowly falls into place.
Meche is a very relateable–though not entirely likeable–main character. In many ways, she is just a regular teenager. She is self-conscious, desperate to fit in, and a poor decision maker. Unlike most teenagers, she is also in control of very powerful magic and can be ruthless in its application. By 2009, she has forgotten how to use magic, and the gnomes think this is a good thing, both for her and for the people around her.
Readers can expect to feel every one of Meche’s mistakes and heartbreaks as if it were their own, so keep your box of tissues close. The gnomes do not generally enjoy coming of age tales, but they made an exception for this heartwarming masterpiece.
The gnomes will be eagerly awaiting Moreno-Garcia’s next work.
Meche has spent the last twenty years living abroad, but when her father dies, she returns to her hometown: Mexico City. She is tasked with cleaning out his apartment, which is cluttered with thousands of vinyl records.
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This brings back lots of memories that she’s repressed over the years. Being a socially awkward teenager, fighting with her father, and something a little less typical. Casting spells with music.The book switches between 1988 and 2009, revealing Meche’s life in glimpses. As the book progresses, the back story slowly falls into place.
Meche is a very relateable–though not entirely likeable–main character. In many ways, she is just a regular teenager. She is self-conscious, desperate to fit in, and a poor decision maker. Unlike most teenagers, she is also in control of very powerful magic and can be ruthless in its application. By 2009, she has forgotten how to use magic, and the gnomes think this is a good thing, both for her and for the people around her.
Readers can expect to feel every one of Meche’s mistakes and heartbreaks as if it were their own, so keep your box of tissues close. The gnomes do not generally enjoy coming of age tales, but they made an exception for this heartwarming masterpiece.
The gnomes will be eagerly awaiting Moreno-Garcia’s next work.
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LibraryThing member beentsy
So, so good.
Awards
Locus Award (Finalist — First Novel — 2016)
Sunburst Award (Shortlist — Adult — 2016)
British Fantasy Award (Nominee — Robert Holdstock Award — 2016)
Copper Cylinder Award (Adult — 2016)
Prix Aurora Award (Finalist — Novel — 2016)
Language
Original publication date
2015-02-10
ISBN
9781849978903